London Tech Week goes virtual – what to expect online

The current world health crisis may have put paid to plans to hold the much-anticipated London Tech Week in June as scheduled initially but, thanks to the wonders of the Internet Age, we don’t have to wait until September (its new date) to ‘attend’ at least some of the events. There’ll be a ‘Digital Tech Festival’ featuring virtual events taking place between the 8^th and 12^th June.

Here’s a quick walk-through of what to expect.

Talents & Skills: Future EdTech

On Tuesday 9^th June, a one-day conference addressing ‘Future EdTech’ will start the festival off. It will explore the new value that educational technology has accrued during the COVID-19 crisis, with more than two million higher-ed students (in the UK alone) adapting to remote learning at home. The health crisis has underscored the importance of the digital age technology that has enabled continued education even during a lockdown. Major topics to be explored via digitally-staged panels, roundtables and Q&A sessions include how EdTech can play a new role in:

• Higher education in the new post-COVID world

• Personalising student learning and progress, from admissions to employability

• Fostering partnerships for success in higher education

Tech for Good: Founders Forum Health Tech

Later in the day on the 9^th of June (between 2 pm and 5 pm), leaders in the field of health tech will address the implications for global health in the wake of the 2020 COVID pandemic. The event will be chaired by Dr Jack Kreindler, an expert in emergency medicine, a medical technology entrepreneur and Founder of the Centre for Health and Human Protection (CHHP), and Simon Stevens, CEO of the NHS. Key issues to be explored include:

• Pharma in the post-COVID era, including explorations of new vaccines and their clinical trials and how to get back to tackling the really big killers that were deprioritised during the crisis

• The new prominence technology has accrued in the COVID crisis by enabling experts to connect with people struggling with mental health issues

Tech start-up Scale-up: State of Investment

Investing in the tech ecosystem in the aftermath of the COVID crisis will be addressed on Wednesday the 10^th of June in a one-hour event scheduled for 5.30 pm. The presentation will bring together leading VCs to explore how investors can help the tech ecosystem recover from the worldwide health emergency. Key topics will include:

• The longer-term effects of COVID-19 on the future of technology investment and funding

• The new post-COVID global investment landscape and how VCs are adapting

Digital Transformation: Leadership and the Resilience of Tech

This presentation will take place between 3 pm and 5.15 pm on Thursday the 11^th of June and will chronicle how the tech industry has shown impressive resilience and leadership in the heart of a global crisis. Likely new post-COVID norms for businesses will be explored, with topics including:

• Leadership through a crisis

• Pivoting business intelligently and shifting priorities successfully during massive disruption

• Building the path to recovery in the post-COVID world

Start-up Scale-up: Resilience of Tech

Also on the 11^th of June (between 4.30 pm and 6.45 pm), innovative tech leaders who have steered their start-ups through the crisis and have managed to scale up their businesses, too, will discuss the arts of rapid decision making and fast adaptation during this difficult time.

Diversity & Inclusivity: Accelerate HER

Finally, the London Tech Festival’s week of virtual events will conclude on Friday the 12^th of June (between 2.00 pm and 5.00 pm) with a presentation by leading women in technology on how they’ve helped their organisations survive and even thrive during the crisis.